Ice pack



J. D. BATES Aug. 13, 1940.

ICE PACK Original Filed Nov. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III Jos o/L plBazes Aug. 13, 1940.

J. D. BATES 2,211,636

ICE PACK Original Filed Nov. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aan W r UUUUEJva ;W=. IIIIIIIIIII;

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,211,636 I ICE PACK Joseph D. Bates, West Springfield, Mass.

Application November '18, 1986, Serial No. 111,534 Renewed January 15, 1940 2' Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 85.425, Patent No. 2,120,013, dated June 7, 1938.

The invention herein disclosed relates broadly to devices for use in heating or cooling any body member or article to which heat is to be applied or from which heat is to be withdrawn. In the more usual use of the devices forming the subject of the invention, the same are intended to be employed to cool parts of the human body or any other member or article and the construction of the devices according to the invention is particularly adapted for such use.

By the present invention it is proposed to provide a hollow receptacle or container formed of impervious material and having a substantial quantity of a liquid sealed therein, which container may be placed in a refrigerator or other cooling apparatus to cause the entrapped liquid to be frozen. The container may then be applied to the part or article to be cooled and will eflectively do so by absorption of heat from the part or article by the frozen liquid within the container or receptacle.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which will be so formed as to prevent the formation of large masses of ice therein, whereby a cooling device formed according to the invention may be easily bent or formed to any desired shape to fit any part or article to which it is to be applied.

Another object is to provide a cooling device of the type described which will be provided interiorly with means which extend into the liquid entrapped therein and about which such liquid may be frozen, to thereby prevent the formation of large, regular masses of ice therein.

A further object is to provide a cooling device of the character described, in'which the means provided for preventing the formation of large masses of ice within the device will be formed integrally with or attached to the inner face of at least one of the walls of the device.

A still further object is to provide a cooling device of the character described, at least one of the walls of which will be so formedand shaped as to provide means extending into the liquid entrapped in the device, to thereby prevent the formation of large masses of ice therein.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cooling device of the type described which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and which will be strong and rugged in construction.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following description and the annexed drawings, it being clearly understood, however, that the invention is not limited in any way by such description and drawings or otherwise than by the appended claims. 5

Referring to the drawings, in which si'milar reference numerals refer to like parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cooling appliance which is formed according to the present Fig. 7 is a view, similar to Fig. 6, and showing a modified form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6; I

Fig. 8 is a partial view, similar to Fig. 2, and, showing a further form which the invention may take;

Fig. 9 is a view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, and showing a further form which the invention may take, and Fig. 11 is a view taken on the line ll--ll of Fig. 10.

According to this invention, I propose to provide a sealed container which is preferably formed of some flexible impervious material such as rubber, and in which is sealed a quantity of a liquid, such as water, which may be frozen in such an ordinarily-available cooling device as a refrigerator, in order to provide a unitary, sealed, easily handled device which may be applied to a body part or other article or member in order to cool the same. Such a device is disclosed generally in Fig. l and it will be seen that the same comprises an elongated, flat receptacle which is generally rectangular in: shape and which is preferably formed of some flexible, impervious material, such as rubber. This container is hollow and is preferably formed, by a core molding process, as a unitary member having the opposed fiat faces 2, 3. A medial flange 4 may be formed about the periphery of the receptacle and this flange may, if desired, be extended at the ends of the container to provide elongated tabs or attaching and handling flanges 5, one or more of which may be provided with spaced holes l therein by which the device may be hung when not in use.

After the molding of the described device and the subsequent withdrawal of the core, a quantity of a liquid, such as water, is put into the container, the volume of the liquid being preferably less than the internal volume of the container in order to prevent rupture of the container when the liquid is frozen. The container, with the liquid therein, is then hermetically sealed. In the use of the device, when it is desired to cool some bow member or other article, the described devices may be placed in a refrigerator or other cooling apparatus in order to freeze the liquid entrapped within the container, after which the device, with the ice formed therein, may be applied to the body member or article to be cooled.

It will be apparent that it may be desirable to bend the cooling device to make it conform to the shape of a body member or other article to be cooled. It will also be seen that if a solid mass of ice is formed within the container, it will be virtually impossible to bend the cooling device. Means are, therefore, provided by the present invention for preventing the formation of solid masses of ice within the container and according to the present invention such means are formed on at least one of .the interior faces of the fiat walls of the device and extend into the interior of the container and into the liquid. entrapped therein. When the liquid within the container is frozen, these means will extend into the ice, whereby the ice will be formed in a series of small connected masses which may easily be broken apart to facilitate the bending of the container and the ice formed therein. Preferably, the means or devices which extend from the side wall or walls into the ice are formed of flexible or resilient material in order to further facilitate the bending of the ice pack.

One form which the invention may take is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and referring to this figure it will be seen that the interior face of one of the opposed flat side members 2, 3 is provided with spaced free-ended studs or pins 1 which extend from the side member to which they are attached toward the opposite side member. These studs or pins are preferably formed integrally with the side member from which they extend and are of such a length that they extend substantially into abutment with the interior face of the opposite side member, all as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The studs 1 are spaced longitudinally and laterally over substantially the entire area of the cooling device I in order that no large mass of ice may be formed therein.

A second form which the invention may take is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and it will be seen, by referring to this figure, that the interior face of each of the opposite side wall members 2, 3 of the cooling device I is provided with a plurality of spaced studs or pins 8 which extend from the side member to which they may be connected toward the opposite side member and terminate approximately midway between the opposite side walls. Preferably the studs extending from the inner face of one of the side members are aligned with those extending from the interior face of the other side member. Due to this arrangement of the opposite stud members, it will be seen that the ice cubes which will be formed between the studs and which extend between the interior faces of the opposite wall members will be connected only by the relatively thin layers of ice which liebetween the opposed ends of the stud members.

This thin sheet 01' ice may be easily broken, thereby facilitating the bending of the ice pack to accommodate it to the shape of a body member or article to the cooled.

It will be apparent that the studs or pins I which are formed on one of the side members may be staggered with respect to those formed on the opposite side member, and if such an arrangement is employed, the studs may be of such length that they extend beyond the center plane of the device and overlap each other.

Regardless of the length or disposition of the various studs, it will be apparent that when a liquid is sealed within a container the studs will extend into the liquid and into the ice which is formed within the container when the liquid is frozen, thereby breaking up the mass of ice into a large number of smaller pieces which may be easily broken apart. This effect of the studs is greatly facilitated by forming the studs of resilient or flexible material, as will be apparent.

Instead of providing the interior faces of the opposite side walls of the ice pack with spaced, free-ended studs, as described hereinbefore, the interior face of one or both of the side walls may be provided with a series of spaced ridges which extend from one wall toward the other and which provide a series of alternate ridges and grooves, each of which extends laterally of the ice pack. Such a construction is disclosed in Figs. 5, 6, and '7 and, referring to these figures, it will be seen that the opposite interior faces of the side wall members 2, 3 of the container are provided with spaced ridges 9 which extend transversely of the container. These ridges are spaced longitudinally of the ice pack and define therebetween a plurality of spaced grooves [0 which also extend transversely of the ice pack. While the described ridges may be formed on the interior faces of either one or both of the side members, in the preferred form of the invention, the ridges extend from both side members, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5.

It is preferred that the ridges 9 be formed integrally with the side walls of the ice pack. If desired, the ends of each ridge member may be integrally joined to the lateral walls of the ice pack, as illustrated in Fig. 6, or may be separated therefrom, as illustrated in Fig. '7, in order to give added resilience to the ridge members.

It will be seen that if a liquid is put into the container illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and sealed therein, it will fill, or partially fill, only the spaces between the ridge members 9. There will accordingly be formed a series of blocks of ice each of which extends transversely of the ice pack, and which blocks are connected one to the other by thin strips of ice which are formed between the adjacent ends of opposed ridge members, as at Hi. It will accordingly be apparent that the spaced blocks of ice may be broken apart along the thin strips i l to thereby permit the ice pack to be bent to any desired form.

Another form in which the invention may be embodied is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings. In this embodiment of the invention the ice pack may be formed inthe same general shape and configuration as illustrated in Fig. 1, and therefore comprises the opposite wall members l2, l3, which are spaced apart a desired distance to permit the introduction into the space defined therebetween of a suitable quantity of a liquid to be frozen. The side wall member i2 is preferably formed as a flat member, as illustrated, while the opposite side wall member i3 is deformed inwardly in such a manner as to provide over the entire area thereof a plurality of spaced indented portions H which may be of any desired shape and which extend toward the opposite v wall I2 but not into engagement therewith. The wall I3 is, therefore, composed of longitudinal and lateral series of alternate outwardly and inwardly-extending portions. It will be seen that if a liquid is put into the ice pack illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 and is frozen therein, ice will be formed in the receptacles formed by the outwardly-extending portions and the blocks of ice so formed therein will be separated by the inwardly-extending portions 4 I, and will be connected only by the thin layer of ice which will be formed between the inner face of the flat side wall member l2 and the inner faces of the inwardly-extending portions l4. Such thin layer of icemay be easily broken to permit the bending of the ice pack to any desired form.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, there is disclosed a preferred form of the invention. This embodiment is preferably formed in the same general shape and configuration as is illustrated in Fig. 1 and includes the opposite, fiat side wall members l5, l6. Formed on the inner face of each of the side wall members are a plurality of intersecting partitions, defining on the inner face of each side wall a plurality of preferably cubeshaped compartments. In the preferred form of this embodiment of my invention, the inner face of each wall member is provided with a plurality of parallel partitions I! which extend longitudinally of the ice pack and a plurality of parallel partitions l8 which, extend at right angles to the longitudinal partitions. The partitions formed on each of the opposite faces are preferably of such height that they terminate approximately in a plane which is midway between the opposite side wall members and it is preferred that the partition members of one wall do not touch those attached to the opposite wall.

Before scaling the container illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 and described hereinbefore, a quantity of a liquid is placed therein which is not quite suflicient to fill the container. This liquid will fill all of the cubic compartments attached to the lower wall and will partially fill those attached to the upper wall. It will be seen that a cube of ice 5 which completely fills a lower compartment and partially fills the compartment immediately thereabove will be connected to adjacent cubes only by a thin layer of ice which is formed between the opposed free facesof the partition members. The adjacent ice cubes may, therefore, be easily broken apart in order to give to the ice pack any desired configuration.

While I have illustrated and described several forms which my invention may take, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other forms and embodiments thereof and improvements therein may be made without departing in any way from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the ice pack may obviously be made of any desired shape or of any desired material. Further, instead of forming the ice pack as a unitary member, it may be formed of two separate fiat, dished members which are connected by vulcanization around the edges thereof. Many other changes in design and construction may also be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention for the limits of which reference must be had to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling device comprising a sealed container formed of a flexible material and containing a liquid adapted to be frozen, the inner face of at least one of the walls of said container being provided with a plurality of free-ended posts spaced over substantially its entire area and extending toward. the opposite Wall of said container, said posts being adapted to lie within the liquid within said container to prevent the formation of large masses of ice within said container when said liquid is frozen, to thereby permit said device to be easily bent to a desired shape.

2. A cooling device comprising a sealed container formed of flexible material and containing a liquid adapted to be frozen, the inner faces of two of the walls of said container being provided with a plurality of free-ended posts spaced over substantially the entire areas thereof and extending at approximately right angles thereto, said posts being adapted to lie within the liquid within said container to prevent the formation of large masses of ice within said container when said liquid is frozen, to thereby permit said device to be easily bent to a desired shape.

JOSEPH D. BATES. 

